


cat tragedy

by cngkyns



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Gen, feat shadow the cat, prolly my worst fic ever wow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 03:19:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9529454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cngkyns/pseuds/cngkyns
Summary: bros!hyungkyun. In which Changkyun brings home a cat and Hyungwon questions his brother. (( feat. cat allergies ))





	

**Author's Note:**

> my so-called 'diagnosis' in here is probably wildly inaccurate even though i've done my research, so apologies! if anyone knows exactly how mild cat allergy is actually treated + how an adoption actually goes, please tell me ;m; thank you and i hope you enjoy~
> 
> #unbetaed #eventhoughihaveabetacandidate(?) 
> 
> ~~ ps this was the "main fic" i was working on before language barriers ~~

It's exactly seven pm when the doorbell rings. Changkyun stands in the doorway of their apartment, school uniform wrinkled and stained with brown and grey spots. His hair is slightly mussed, bangs covering his eyebrows and getting into his vision. Despite his disheveled appearance, he still grins bright at Hyungwon when the door opens.

Mostly because he's cradling a cat.

Hyungwon only woke up from a nap from the way he wordlessly opens the door, so he barely registers the grey kitten that Changkyun is holding. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, he opens the door wider and steps aside, letting in the boy. His younger brother's a little surprised at the lack of reaction, but he walks in anyway.

"How was class?" Hyungwon asks, closing the door. His voice is laden heavy with sleep.

"Alright. Had a bit of trouble in chemistry, but all's good," his brother replies in a light voice, back facing him. Changkyun heads off to his bedroom to dump his bag on the floor.

Hyungwon crosses the living room and throws his legs on the couch. Stretching them out, he covers his mouth and yawns. "There's some leftover jajjangmyeon in the fridge for you," he calls out. "Put it in the microwave first after you take it out."

"Aight." The bedroom door closes. Hyungwon sighs, letting his eyelids fall again. In three breaths, he's back asleep.

 

 

The moment Changkyun steps inside his bedroom, he pumps his fist in the air. Bless Hyungwon and his never-ending naps; the kitten managed to get into his bedroom Hyungwon-free. At least, his older brother doesn't have to know for now.

Dropping himself on the bed, Changkyun sets the kitten free from his arms. At once, the kitten jumps off his lap and dashes across the queen-sized bed, trampling all over his sheets with dirty paws. It almost loses itself amongst the thick blanket and patterned sheets, painting the once-white blanket with brown marks. Changkyun shrugs it away. He can wash off his sheets any time. (Again, as long as Hyungwon doesn't find out.)

He lies on his bed, feeling the energy drain out of him while the kitten bounces on it. School has been really tiring today: his teachers pestered him in class, always calling him to answer questions; Jooheon and Minhyuk stole his lunch, making off with his fries and burger; then in music school he had to rewrite his song because the teacher didn't "approve" of the lyrics. What was so bad about a couple of curse words, here and there?

The kitten strides into his lap, making its way up to his chest. Changkyun glances up and exchanges brief eye contact. He smiles.

This whole time he carried it back home, he hasn't been able to properly look at the kitten. After his work shift, as he passed by the grocery store, he'd heard meowing from the dumpster, questioned his hearing at such a young age, only to uncover a small kitten almost smothered by the garbage collected inside. Now, in the comforts of his room and without Hyungwon's prying eyes, he finally notices all the small details of the cat. Its grey, silky fur lined with small streaks of white down its back, here and there marked with matted fur. Its round eyes stare curiously into his, vacant yet bright. Short whiskers protrude from its moist, pink nose. And of course, pink, sticky paws that cling onto his shirt.

Changkyun feels his heart swell. But then, as he sifts his fingers through the kitten's fur, dirt comes off his fingers. He grimaces.

Time to hit the showers.

 

Thirty-eight minutes later, Changkyun exits his bedroom, wearing a white graphic tee and loose sweatpants. His face is clean, hair smelling like apple, his clothes thrown in the laundry basket, and the kitten is all washed. It smells like his orange body wash now. He strokes the head softly, enjoying how its fur feels against his fingers. The kitten closes its eyes in comfort.

Closing his bedroom door silently, Changkyun shuffles down the short corridor and into the living room. The TV is on, but Hyungwon is nowhere to be found. He deems it safe to play with the kitten.

Right as he plops on the couch, Hyungwon pops his head around the kitchen doorway. "Hey kid, want some dinner?"

Changkyun jumps, almost dropping the kitten from his arms.

"There's jajjangmyeon in the- is that a _cat?_ "

The kitten (or Shadow, as Changkyun now calls it) slips out of his arms and bolts for the TV cabinet. It slides under and stays put.

Changkyun gulps. "Well, no. It's a kitten." A sheepish grin spreads across his face as he turns towards his brother.

Hyungwon glowers at him.

 

"Why did you think it was a good idea," he seethes through his teeth in a monotone voice. Hyungwon watches, chopsticks poised in the air, as Shadow crosses the dining table back and forth, short tail whipping apprehensively. Its wide, unblinking eyes take in the new surroundings. Changkyun shrugs, a soft smile on his face.

"It's really cute. See?" He reaches over and strokes its head. Shadow closes its eyes in comfort.

Hyungwon isn't stirred. He continues observing the cat as he munches through his ramyeon. "Doesn't justify the fact that we could be kicked out any time soon."

His younger brother rolls his eyes. "Relax, hyung. They won't kick us out for bringing an animal home," he scoffs. Shadow perks up, tail stiffening at his tone. Changkyun pets it again.

"But why did you bring it home?" his brother presses on.

Changkyun shrugs again. "I found it in the dumpster earlier. What kind of monster leaves a kitten in the dumpster?"

Hyungwon sighs through a mouthful of noodles, expecting a similar answer from his brother. What else can he expect from him?

In the depths of his mind, Hyungwon can't really care less. A cat just means extra company in their small apartment suite, with more fur laying around, more dirt to clean up after, and less time to himself. As long as the cat didn't leave the house and into their landlady's line of sight. Mrs Kwon may be gentle, but she's strict.

Changkyun can see the fight leaving out of his body. Hyungwon's eyebrows slowly drop, his shoulders deflating. It's as easy as that, he thinks triumphantly. Dragging Shadow towards his chest, Changkyun arranges the kitten in his arms and strokes the fur on its back. He tries to fight an oncoming smile on his face. "So are we keeping it?"

Hyungwon lifts his shoulders.

Changkyun beams.

"But if it breaks anything, you're to pay."

"...Hyung!"

"Also, if Mrs Kwon finds out, I'm kicking you out."

"What! Then where will I go?"

"I'll send you to Mom and Dad. Ship you with their Christmas presents box."

Changkyun sticks his tongue out. "You'll never do that. I know you love me."

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow. "Proof?"

 

The next few days, Hyungwon finds, were rather hectic. In between classes and errands, Changkyun sets out to find a basket for Shadow to sleep in, once they compromised on Shadow's presence in their home. When he arrived back at the apartment, carrying a woven basket from Daiso and complete with a smooth, soft blanket, Hyungwon clears out some space in their study for Shadow's so-called "living quarters". There is now a small corner by the bookshelf where the kitten is free to sleep, marked by the woven basket and fruit-patterned blanket.

The next day, they dug through the cupboards to find a small plastic bowl that would do for Shadow's meals. Changkyun begins stocking up on some cat food that Mr Bo, the kind grocery store uncle, has given to him as a small reward for being so hardworking. After that, the kitten squeezes in between the two brothers every night to have its daily meals.

Hyungwon doesn't really see the cat often once the weekdays come. He's due for university at 9am, but in the morning he has to wake up early, tidy around the house a little bit, cook a little something for themselves, shower and then walk his brother to school. Shadow doesn't wake up until Changkyun steps inside the study, carrying the bag of cat food inside the room. And then, before the clock can tick 7.30am, the two brothers are off.

Shadow is left alone in their apartment, licking its paws in the middle of the doorway.

 

It's been four days since their newest addition to their home. Alongside random mewing and scattered fur, Hyungwon can say that the cat isn't really bothering them. In fact, it's become a soft, tiny company that somehow grew on him. Shadow likes to sit by his side when he's working on an essay, or flick its tail at his ankles when Hyungwon cooks something, or cuddle in the sheets at night, when the study room becomes too cold. Shadow, just like his name, becomes their shadow.

"You know, it really wasn't a bad idea to bring it home," Hyungwon remarks from the sofa. Shadow mews in his palm, batting his fingers with its paws.

"I told you." Changkyun absentmindedly scratches cheek with his pen. His pen cap leaves red marks on his face.

"Don't do that. Might get you acne," Hyungwon says. Shadow climbs onto his lap, brushes his pants with its tail, and sits there.

Hyungwon smiles at it. Changkyun scratches again.

 

The next morning, Changkyun wakes up at 3.43am with itches all over his skin. There's an unmistakable itch on his arms, near his inner elbows, on his throat, and down his cheeks. He feels slight bumps all over the skin- they feel like goosebumps. Big goosebumps. The thick quilt covering his body traps a lot of heat, so with a frustrated grunt, he throws it off.

Cold air hits his skin, but it doesn't soothe the itch.

Changkyun closes his eyes and wills himself to sleep.

 

At 5.30am, Changkyun's phone alarm goes off. An endless trill of bells, chirping birds and cascading water echo around the room, loud and piercing through his sleep. He whines in a high-pitched voice, brow scrunching down in frustration while his hand thumps around the sheets. Scratching against his neck, Changkyun slides a thumb across the phone and kills the noise.

"Ugh." His eyelids are still too heavy to open. Every part of his body feels heavy, especially at this time in the morning. He lets himself a few minutes of basking in the quiet darkness, almost lulled back intro dreamland by the ticking clock on the wall, thick waves of quilts surrounding him, and the black blanket over the sky. It's almost heartbreaking that he has to leave all of this for school in two hours' time.

With a sigh, Changkyun pushes himself off the bed and slides onto the floor. Shuffling on the cold floor, he opens the door to his bathroom and flicks on the light switch. Intense white light fill his vision.

His eyes widen at his reflection.

"What is _this?!_ "

 

"What is _that?!_ "

Changkyun shrugs helplessly, eyes opening twice their usual size. "I don't know! I woke up this morning and suddenly there's rashes all over me!" His hands gesture wildly around his upper body.

Hyungwon grimaces, taking in the sight of red patches on Changkyun's inner elbows and neck. Bumps appear here and there in blotchy circles. Red patches spread from his neck, up his throat and spattered across his cheeks. He tries not to feel a little grossed out, but he does, and it's evident on his face. Changkyun runs a hand up his inner elbows.

Hyungwon frowns. He holds out a hand to stop him. "No. Don't do that."

Changkyun's hand drops to his side.

"Hyung, what are we gonna do?" He tries not to squirm under his brother's scrutiny, but it's hard when there's rashes all over his body and all he wants to do is scratch, scratch, scratch. Hyungwon just stares- it's not helping.

"Hyung. Hyung, what are we gonna do?" Changkyun's beginning to whine. "I have school today! I can't go out like this!"

His older brother bites his lips. "I don't know! It just looks really gross."

" _Wow_ , hyung, that sure helps a lot. Thanks. Very nice of you."

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. "Don't be like that. I've never seen anything like _that_ -" he waves vaguely around Changkyun's direction- "in my life before, jeez. What... is it, anyway?"

"I think it's rashes." Changkyun rubs a hand on his inner elbow, trying not to prickle at the bumps on his skin. "It's...it's really itchy and I kinda wanna cough and my throat's pretty itchy too..." He trails off. His eyebrows cloud together.

"Do you wanna go to a doctor?"

Changkyun frowns. A doctor on a school day?

"I'll tell your teacher that you're sick."

A smile forms on his face. He nods.

 

The doctor at the local clinic scribbles something very seriously on a slip of paper. The two brothers sitting across him turn their heads upside down to read the illegible handwriting. There's something very interesting yet horrifying about doctor handwriting. It looks much like intelligent chicken scratch.

Changkyun sits in petrified silence, fingers tangling and untangling in anxiety. Somehow, he manages to keep his hands away from the rashes. None of his family members, not his mom, dad, nor Hyungwon had any kind of rashes before- or at least, not any that he can remember. All his life, he's managed to stay away from any Weird Looking skin conditions (save for his acne, which he smothers over with tons of acne-control products with), so having rashes like this was his first. Hopefully his last, too. Because he really doesn't know what to do with it. Which is why they're at the doctor's, he supposes.

The doctor suddenly sits up after what seemed like an hour. Finishing his scribble with a flourish, he calls out for the assisstant while waving the slip of paper. When she arrives from a random door, he passes the paper to her and says, "Get them antihistamine. The one for cats."

The two brothers frown. _For cats?_

After the assissant leaves the room, the doctor turns towards the two brothers and intertwines his hands. He peers at them over his round rim glasses. Changkyun stiffens when the man's gaze stops at him, the doctor's eyes narrowing at the red patches across his torso. He clears his throat and opens his mouth. "What we have here is a mild case of cat allergy."

Oh. Well.

Hyungwon side-eyes his younger brother. Even though it comes off as a surprise to him, too, he can't help but think _What did I tell you about bringing it home?_

"You described coughing, slight itchiness in the back of your throat, and rashes." The doctor pauses, looking over Changkyun's rash again. It makes the boy feel exposed. "And you also mentioned having a cat at home?"

A nod. "Yes."

"These rashes are commonly seen when you first come in contact with a cat." The doctor pushes his glasses up his nose, frowning at the boy. "Before this, have you ever came in contact cats before?"

Changkyun frowns. Has he? He's always admired cats from afar, but he can't really remember if he ever touched one the way he has with Shadow. He's never brought a cat neat his face before, nor has he bathed a cat before, nor has he cuddled a cat to his chest while he sleeps. So no. He shakes his head as an answer.

"I see. When you develop a cat allergy, it means that your body has become oversensitive to the proteins from cat saliva, urine, or dried flakes of skin from the cat. It causes your immunity system to flare up at those minor threats and attack them as if they were bacteria or virus."

Changkyun nods, absorbing the information.

"Usually, when a patient comes in with cat allergy, we put them through an allergy test to see if they are really allergic, but that is only if their symptoms are severe. However, for this treatment we are only giving you some antihistamines to control your symptoms, because it is still in a mild stage. I would also suggest reducing exposure to cats, especially the one in your home."

The boy's eyes widen. "You...you mean, throw out the cat?"

The doctor chuckles. "No, no. If you really love it, you don't have to throw your cat away. It would be best, however, to leave them under someone else's care until your symptoms disappear- though that doesn't mean your allergy will go away. In fact, allergies rarely go away. I suggest giving up your cat for adoption or a shelter, where they can find a better home."

Something tugs at Changkyun's heart. Sadly. "So... I have to give up my cat?"

"Yes."

"Can I still play with cats?"

"No. Unfortunately. The symptoms will only worsen if you persist." The doctor purses his lips. "Any other questions?"

Changkyun doesn't lift up his head. Hyungwon doesn't have any queries in particular, so he shakes his head and says, "No. Thank you for your time today." Tapping his brother's back twice, he stands up and bows at the doctor.

The doctor shakes his head. "No problem." There's a hint of a jovial smile on his face as he watches the brothers walk out of the room, Changkyun's head still down. He can't help but be reminded of his own sons and their shenanigans.

 

Changkyun tries not to cry. The face mask he's wearing sits uncomfortably on his nose bridge, smothering his nose, mouth and chin. He shifts it up his face to sit just below his eyes.

He is _not_ crying.

"Don't cry," Hyungwon coos beside him. He reaches out to throw an arm over Changkyun's shoulders, ruffling his brother's hair. Changkyun huffs.

"I'm not." His voice wavers a tiny bit, but he covers it with a slight frown.

In front of them, a vet presses a stethoscope to Shadow's chest. The grey kitten, lying on its back, paws her wrists and mews. It closes its eyes as the cold metal touches its chest. Changkyun melts inside.

The vet straightens up. "It seems like he's very healthy," she concludes, withdrawing the stethoscope from her ears. She rolls Shadow onto its back, petting its head. "He doesn't have any sicknesses and he's very well groomed. How long did the both of you take him in?"

Hyungwon hums. "I think... a little over a month?"

Her eyes widen. "Oh. That's amazing. You both have taken care of him well." She smiles warmly at them. Picking up the gray kitten, she carries it in her arms and leads the boys towards another room. "Now let's get the documents done."

With each step they take, Changkyun can feel the weight on his shoulders increase. He doesn't want to get the documents done. He doesn't want to give up Shadow for adoption. He doesn't want to let the kitten go at all. He tugs Hyungwon's sleeve.

"Hyung," he pouts.

His hyung pats his head. "It's alright, Kyun-ah." Hyungwon drops his arm to his brother's shoulders, rubbing them in comfort.

Shadow mews.

The lady behind the table finishes collecting the documents, arranging the papers neatly and stapling them together. Sliding the documents across the table, she picks up a pen and points at certain places on the paper. "Here you need to fill up these questions-" she marks some boxes -"and here I need you to sign. Do read the terms first." She hands the pen to him.

"Alright." Hyungwon bends over the table. Taking the pen from her hands, he scans the documents and fills in the important places. Changkyun peeks over his brother's shoulder.

"Here you go." The elder of the two slides the documents back towards the lady. She thanks him and places the documents on one corner of the table. Another volunteer- a boy of Changkyun's age- takes away Shadow's box and leaves the room.

"No...Shadow..." Changkyun whimpers. He stares after the volunteer.

"Don't worry, you can say goodbye to him next door," the lady brightly says. "Would you like to follow him?"

Before Changkyun can get a word out, Hyungwon interjects. "No, thank you. We recently found out he has a cat allergy, so it's better if we stay outside."

His brother pouts harder. "But hyung! I couldn't even say goodbye to it!"

Hyungwon blinks.

"We'll bring out your cat for you. Just one last time, alright?"

 

The two brothers find themselves squatting in front of a cardboard box in the middle of the shelter's kitchen. An empty space has been cleared out for them to say their special goodbyes, surrounded by boxes of pet food and bowls. Shadow, paws on the edges of the box, leans up into Hyungwon's gentle palms.

Changkyun sniffs. The face mask is pulled down to his chin, so he can finally breathe properly again. "I'm going to miss you so much." He wants to reach out and touch the cat, he really does, but the rashes will flare up again.

Shadow meows. It stops rubbing its head against Hyungwon's palm and turns to Changkyun instead.

The boy sniffles. Shadow looks so soft, so vulnerable and so.... _cuddly_. Changkyun wishes, really wishes, that he can touch the cat one last time.

He looks up at his older brother. "Hyung... can I?"

Hyungwon frowns. "Can you what?"

Changkyun points to the kitten, then vaguely gestures in the air. "Like...touch it?"

"No."

His younger brother pouts for the nth time that day.

 

Hyungwon and Changkyun step onto the porch of their parent's house. Summer vacation was always a time for them to pack away and fly one ocean over to where their parents resided, in the comfortable suburbs of Boston. Summer air in Boston was always different from the air in Seoul- a bit more wild, heavier than the fresh and light air in Seoul. Their childhood tree, the evergreen tree that they used to compete in climbing, was lush and thick with green leaves. Their house was also painted a different colour, from the plain cream colour in uniform with the rest of the neighbourhood, to a more snazzy brick red that brought out the contemporary style of their home. The brothers lug their bags up the stairs, pushing them to the side of the porch. Hyungwon presses the door bell.

"Oh! Oh my, they're here!" Their mother's voice, sweet and high and pure, filters through the door. Changkyun feels warm. How long has it been since he heard her talk, face to face?

The door swings open and out comes Mrs Chae, looking tiny in a summer dress and an apron over her clothes. She gasps when she sees her two sons standing in the front door, as if she hadn't been expecting their visit for the past year. Her boys were so tall now! Throwing the door wider, she opens her arms and exclaims, "Oh, how I missed you so much!"

Changkyun rushes to her arms first. He buries his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling the smell of cinnamon that he misses so much. Hyungwon steps a beat after, wrapping his gangly arms around the two of them. It's been so, so long.

The sound of shuffling comes from the stairs, where slippers and baggy pants appear. Mr Chae, in his trademark pajama pants and white shirt, steps into the living room with his glasses askew. "What's going on?"

"Dad!" Changkyun releases his mom. "We're here!"

Mr Chae pushes his glasses up his nose bridge. "Changkyun?"

Hyungwon breaks away from his mother, too. He waves a hand at his father. "Hey dad."

Mr Chae blinks. "...Is it summer already?"

 

The small family settles down in the living room, stowing away their luggages to one side of the room and leaning back on their couches. Changkyun pops open the jar of cookies ready on the table, helping himself to a handful of cookies before any conversation has started. Hyungwon settles on one side of the couch, where he's wedged between his father's armchair and his mother. They exchange a round of pleasantries- Hyungwon's university life, Changkyun's middle school shenanigans, their father's steady business, and their mother's current joys of writing and baking.

When they start a new topic of new hobbies, Mrs Chae's eyes light up and she hits the couch. Hyungwon stops talking mid-sentence.

"We have something to show you! Wait here." Their mother pats his knee, then bounces off the couch with sprightly steps. Changkyun gazes after her.

Hyungwon tilts his head. "A surprise?"

Their father shakes his head. "Just something we've taken to recently."

When their mother reappears from the kitchen entryway, the two brothers rejoice and groan simultaneously.

In her arms, she holds a cat. 

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on twitter @tangledcharms i'm lonely


End file.
